Regular physical Exercise is one of the cornerstones for maintaining a healthy weight. Regular physical exercise has numerous health benefits. First and foremost , it directly causes burning of calories and thus results in weight loss. It also helps boost the metabolic rate which results in greater basal caloric expenditure at rest. Regular exercise is good for cardiovascular health, improves the lung function, strengthens bones and joints, relieves constipation , improves immunity and also alleviates depression.
Bariatric surgery is a metabolic procedure for long term weight loss. The surgical procedure should be accompanied by numerous lifestyle changes to help achieve long term success. Physical exercise is recommended even before undergoing the surgery as part of the pre operative preparation to improve the cardiovascular and pulmonary function. Regular long walks and deep breathing exercises are particularly effective in this regard. This makes the body better able to withstand the surgical procedure and improves the post op recovery. Exercise is begun soon after the surgical procedure. The patient is allowed to ambulate on the same day and move about in their room and in the hospital. This promotes blood circulation, prevents blood clotting and leads to early bowel movement.
Once the patient is discharged from the hospital, they are advised to walk for 15-20 minutes per day in the first week to complete 3000-4000 steps per day. This should gradually be increased over the first month to reach a target of 10000 steps daily.
After the first month, patients can start other cardiovascular exercises as well like skipping , jogging , treadmill, etc. They are encouraged to join the gym or some sports club and engage in group activities to keep up their interest in physical exercise. The period of rapid weight loss lasts for 3 months after which weight loss generally slows down. This is the time when when patients can begin weight training. Weight training not only strengthens the muscles and bones but also improves skin tone and prevents skin sagging. Increasing the muscle mass in the body also boosts metabolic rate and leads to greater nasal caloric expenditure. This helps in long term weight management. Weight training should be properly supervised to prevent injury and continued along with cardiovascular exercises in the long run.
This regular physical exercise is an Referal part of bariatric surgery for the pre operative preparation as well as the post operative period for long term weight management.